“When a drag queen pops on that first wig, pump, nail or lash, she’s taking back something the world has convinced her doesn’t exist over who she can be. Then, merely the existence of that character gives everyone they interact with the permission to be a little bit more themselves. When a young queer person sees a drag queen, they might think, if that towering person in a mermaid-cut sequin gown can do that, maybe I can make it one more day at school in the face of those bullies — as opposed to ending my life. I can sing filthy parodies in nightclubs on Friday night and read a book to children on Saturday morning just like Chris Rock can do stand-up one day and voice a character in an animated movie the next. It’s called range — and drag queens have it the same as any other entertainer does.

Source: Huffington Post April 19, 2023 22:02 UTC